1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to microorganisms of the genus Streptomyces and to chitinase and more particularly to a microorganism of a new species of the genus Streptomyces and to a method of producing chitinase therefrom.
Generally, the term "chitinolytic enzyme" refers to a composite enzyme system comprising a variety of enzyme components such as those called chitinase and chitobiase, and the function thereof is to decompose and saccharify chitin even into N-acetyl glucosamine or oligosaccharides.
Chitin is one of polysaccharides belonging to amino sugar and is abundantly contained in lower animals, in particular in arthropods. The quantity of chitin biosynthetically produced annually is so copious as to be estimated at several billion tons, and hence chitin is one of unutilized natural resources that have been in the spotlight in recent years.
Chitin is poorly reactive and more stable than cellulose, so that the decomposition of chitin with an enzyme, i.e., chitinase, into a lower molecular substance may be proposed.
2. Prior Art
Chitinase is contained, for example, in the digestive fluids of snails and is also known to be produced by filamentous fungi or bacteria. (e.g., "Encyclopaedia Chimica" Vol. 2, p. 745, Kyoritsu Shuppan K.K., Tokyo)
According to a catalogue of commercial products, chitinases from microorganism sources are obtained from Streptomyces griseus and Serratia marcescens. Recently, chitinase derived from microorganisms of the genus Aeromonas is also reported.